Retro Gaming- Sonic Rush: (2005)

When we look at Sonic the Hedgehog games from the 90’s until now there have been many exciting titles that were considered to be not only fun but memorable those who have played them.   Even though, some of the best 2D Sonic the Hedgehog games were released during the 90’s the 00’s also had some great 2D titles as well.  Along with the Sonic Advance series for the Game Boy Advance one of the coolest games that emerged from the 00’s was Sonic Rush which was developed by Dimps along with the Sonic Team and released for the Nintendo DS in 2005.  The gameplay and 2D visual graphics in this game were amazing and looked like something that many people from the 16 bit era had dreamed for many years before it actually happened.  The developers for Sonic Rush had included 2D graphics along with 3D sprites in order to develop 2.5D game which was very impressive.  Along with the inclusion of fantastic visual graphics this game included a new storyline featuring the debut of Blaze the Cat.  In the game Sonic & Blaze who were both reluctant to trust each other have to stop Eggman & Nega Eggman collecting emeralds.

While Nega Eggman seeks to collect the Sol Emeralds in Blaze’s world Dr. Eggman desires to collect the Chaos Emeralds in Sonic’s as both of their dimensions were on the verge of merging with each other.  Along with having a great plot the levels in Sonic Rush were mind-blowing allowing people to play as Sonic & Blaze and going through a very exciting adventure as they progress throughout the game.  When it comes down to both gameplay and graphics some people would probably argue that most of the Sonic games that were released during the 00’s on consoles such as Xbox and Nintendo Wii should have utilized a similar format.  It’s no secret that many people who are hardcore Sonic fans love the 2D graphics that made the series very popular during the 90’s.  Along with having an impressive visual display Sonic Rush groundbreaking & innovative gameplay along with a new plot that probably could have worked if Sega had decided to make this game the direct sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog 3.  While opinions may vary about most of the 3D Sonic the Hedgehog games that were released in the 00’s it was good to know that the 2D titles were always fun to play if one was a true fan of the series.

Game Boy Advance Games- Sonic Advance 3: (2004)

Game Boy Advance was definitely one of the coolest handheld consoles of the early 00’s because there were so many interesting titles that were released during that time period.  Ever since the Sonic the Hedgehog series went 3D for the Sega Dreamcast during the late 90’s many people were interested in seeing whether or not Sega and the Sonic Team could recapture some of the excitement that the older 2D games presented back in the early 90’s.  The Sonic Advance series which started around late 2001- early 2002 was great because it brought back the older 2D style gameplay from the early 90’s but with the inclusion of better visual presentation.  Unlike the Sega Genesis which features 16 bit graphics Sonic Advance 3 for the Game Boy Advance included 32 bit graphics which were very impressive along with various features that were included in this game.  In Sonic Advance 3 players can choose multiple characters such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Tails Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Amy Rose and Cream the Rabbit.  Unlike the first two Sonic Advance games players can choose to characters as they play throughout seven different zones with three acts each.

One of the best things about having two characters during each level was the fact they players can perform double team maneuvers to help them advance throughout the game. Another great aspect about the game included the level designs for each stage along with the soundtracks.  Sunset Hill was an amazing remix of Green Hill Zone from the original Sonic the Hedgehog game and the Cyber Track stages had awesome BGM but it was somewhat difficult to complete.  In terms of creativity other soundtracks that were fantastic in Sonic Advance 3 included Ocean Bass and Twinkle Snow.  In terms of level design would be tough to decide which was the best because every stage in Sonic Advance 3 looked very impressive.  The inclusion of alternate endings was one of the many things about Sonic Advance 3 that made the game worth having.  If players completed the game without collecting all of the Chaos Emeralds then they got the normal ending.  However, if players collected all seven Chaos Emeralds before reaching the Alter Emerald stage then they had the opportunity to play as Super Sonic and engage in a secret boss battle against Ultimate Gemerl.  There were so many things about Sonic Advance 3 along with the first two games that were fun for players to enjoy.  In fact if Sega were ever to develop a Sonic the Hedgehog 5 many people would not mind seeing the inclusion 32 bit gameplay for a potential sequel to the last game which was released in 2012.  Overall, Sonic Advance 3 was a game that was worthy of being released for a home console and is seen as a classic by many people who are true fans of the series.

Should there a Sonic the Hedgehog 5?

Many people have been long time fans of the Sonic series since the 1990’s would probably love to see a sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II which was released by Sega in 2012.  While many people thought Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episodes I & II were pretty exciting some might argue that it was not quite as popular as Sonic 3 which was released back in 1994.  In terms of 2D gameplay the Sonic games that Sega released between 1991 and 1994 were amazing in terms of gameplay, level design and storytelling.  While the plot for the original 2D Sonic games were generally similar in relation to stopping Dr. Eggman/Robotnik the older titles appeared to be more creative which was one of the few things that contributed to their overall appeal.  The many of the stages featured in the older Sonic games were very memorable not only because the level designs were fantastic but the soundtrack for most stages were magnificent.

The soundtrack for stages such as Green Hill Zone, Marble Zone, Spring Yard Zone, Chemical Plant Zone, Ice Cap Zone and many others in older Sonic games are considered to be legendary.  While the Soundtrack for Sonic the Hedgehog 4 was also very exciting some people hoping to see similar 2D gameplay that was featured in games of the early 90’s.  While the 3D design along with the 2D gameplay drew the interest of many people who played Sonic the Hedgehog 4 retro gamers were more inclined to believe that the game its did not feel the same as the classics from the early 90’s.  It would seem that when it comes down to the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series many people are hoping for Sega to utilize the same elements in the new games that made the older games popular in the first place.  We all know that Sega plans on releasing a new game entitled “Sonic Mania” which is set to be released in 2017.  The cool thing about “Sonic Mania” is that the gameplay and graphics are highly identical to the older Sega Genesis titles along the fact that game will be featured on consoles such as the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One.  If Sega ever decide to release a Sonic the Hedgehog 5 in the future it would be quite debatable whether it should be similar to that of Sonic Mania or not.

Retro Gaming- Sonic Heroes: (2004)

There have been many memorable Sonic the Hedgehog that have been released for over the past two decades from game consoles since the Sega Genesis made its debut during the early 90’s.  Some people argue that Sonic Heroes is not one of the most memorable titles in the Sonic the Hedgehog series others thought it was a pretty cool game to play on various consoles including the PlayStation 2, Xbox along with Nintendo GameCube.  One of the coolest features about Sonic Heroes included playing as different teams to complete each stage throughout the game.  In this game players were able to control various characters including Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy Rose, Shadow, Rouge the Bat and others. Sonic Heroes allow players to control three characters during each level while playing as teams Sonic, Dark, Rose or Chaotix.  One of the most unique things about having teams included the fact that each character within a group had a different specialty including speed, power and flight.  The inclusion of three player groups in a platform game especially Sonic the Hedgehog was something that was never seen before prior to 2004.

While some people thought the concept regarding the gameplay for Sonic Heroes might have felt lackluster others would probably agree that it helped revitalize the series by adding something new that would draw the interest of hardcore Sonic fans from the 16 bit era.  Having the opportunity to play as multiple characters in a platform game opposed to playing as just one or two added to the appeal of Sonic Heroes similar to that of Sonic Adventure 1 & 2.   Along with being able to play as multiple characters people got to witness the return of Metal Sonic in form of Metal Madness as the main villain in Sonic Heroes.  The most exciting thing about the final boss fight in Sonic Heroes was the fact that people had the chance to play as each team during the battle.  To say that the battle against Metal Madness towards the end is an understatement however the ending was well worth the effort after people completed the game in its entirety.   Sonic Heroes might not be considered to be among the best game in the series but it was not the worst either.In fact some people might agree that Sonic Heroes  was one of the better 3D games that the Sonic Team had developed during the 2000’s along with Sonic Adventure 2.